I hope they're not neglecting their studies


Here's a lengthy story in the Seattle newspaper about some of the young people who are causing all the commotion in downtown Portland every night for the last month and a half. 
“We are a bunch of teenagers armed with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and yerba mate — we can take a 5 a.m. raid and be back on our feet a few hours later … we’ll be back again and again until every prison is reduced to ashes and every wall to rubble.”
Part of me loves it when people take to the streets against Trump and his fellow Republicans. But one person was seriously injured downtown on Saturday night, and it seems like a fatality is coming any night now. That you hate to see.

And what is with the all-night fires? Somebody in the "movement" seems to have a real pyro problem.

On the other side, the law enforcement response to the kombucha-swilling provocateurs seems awfully confused, and more than a little dark. Now we have some shadowy "federal officers" in charge of "protecting" the federal courthouse (they're the ones who destroyed a young man's face on Saturday night), while the Portland cops and their various mercenaries, from God knows where, are in charge of everything else. Despite all the police displays, it's clear that the property damage, the injuries, the gassing, the fires, and the grave danger are continuing unabated. 

The mayor is pointing an accusing finger at the feds. The governor is pointing at the police chief. Lots of pointing.

How about negotiating? Is anyone even trying? Is there anybody for the authorities to sit down and negotiate with? Are there some people in the crowd who aren't completely anarchist, who might do something else with their lives every night if somebody in authority conceded something?

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